DJ OF THE YEAR 12.27.10: BLACK COFFEE

When 2010 began, most of the world did not even know who he was, but all that changed when Black Coffee officially released his album ‘Home Brewed’ stateside. Whether it was a conscious decision to release it in the midst of the Winter Music Conference or not, the album’s lead single and easily one of the hottest tracks of the year ‘Superman’ took flight. From the world’s top DJs to the local jockeys spinning records in hotel lobbies, the single was everywhere. Little did everyone know this was indicative of the year Black Coffee had in store.

His real name is Nathi Maphumulo, and he is from South Africa. He dropped his first album; the self titled Black Coffee in 2005 and instantly caught the attention of the world; well, except for the United States, where only a few underground heads were familiar with the new DJ. That didn’t last long however, as the deep House genre he specializes in was once again gaining popularity among party people all over the world. He released ‘Home Brewed’ in his homeland in 2009 and then to the western world in March of this year. Things haven’t been the same since.

‘Home Brewed’ has garnered Black Coffee the type of attention artists only dream of, it’s safe to say his job security was not an issue in 2010, having traveled all over the world DJing in the top venues and events worldwide. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards both internationally and in the states. His homeland’s South Africa Music Awards (SAMA) recognized him by awarding him the Male Artist of the Year and Best Urban Dance Album. He also won for Best Produced Album and Best Dance album in the Metro Awards and Most Gifted Male at the Channel O Music Video awards, both held in the first continent as well. Locally, he received the Best Artist of the Year nod by Men’s Health magazine.

In a move, that truly shows the type of person he is, Black Coffee also made it a point to put his newfound fame to good use. In August, he launched the Black Coffee Foundation, which he created to help orphans and people living with disabilities. In proper Black Coffee fashion, the launch also featured him setting a Guinness world record for playing 60-hours straight!

As the year nears its end, ‘Superman’ will undoubtedly be on many DJs playlist, not only because it is one of the year’s biggest hits, but also because many have yet to remove it from their playlists. In fact, they’ve only added his follow up singles ‘Gardens of Eden,’ ‘Crazy,’ and ‘JuJu’ to the mix. For 2011, expect more from the humble yet determined South African, but 2010 was definitely his year and for that, we honor him.

Following is the exclusive video of the interview we did with Black Coffee back in April and the mix we featured back in March when we selected him as DJ of the Week. Little did we know, he would have such an impact on us and the entire scene.